lacking

American  

[lak-ing] / ˈlæk ɪŋ /

preposition

1. being without; not having; wanting; less.

   Lacking equipment, the laboratory couldn't undertake the research project.

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adjective

1. wanting; deficient.

   He was found lacking in stamina.

Etymology

Origin of lacking

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; lack + -ing ²

Explanation

If something's lacking, there's not enough of it. Your new house may be lacking when it comes to comfortable chairs, leading your friends to lounge on the floor instead. If there's a shortage of something, it's lacking. You might also describe something that's deficient — or not quite good enough — as lacking. If a substitute teacher is lacking in skill when it comes to controlling a rowdy class, he'll be exhausted by the end of his first day on the job. Finally, you can use this word in the sense of "absent": If your older brother's appetite is lacking, he might be coming down with something — usually he can eat an entire pizza on his own.

Example Sentences

"The mice lacking CSE were compromised at multiple levels, which correlated with symptoms that we see in Alzheimer's disease," says co-first author Sunil Jamuna Tripathi, a researcher in Paul's lab.

From Science Daily • Apr. 8, 2026

It’s why the conspiracies claiming we never went there are so unappealing, not to mention completely lacking in evidence.

From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026

That alignment is something else that appears to be lacking at Spurs.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Small businesses, lacking scale to negotiate lower surcharges, are reluctant to pass higher fuel costs to price-sensitive customers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

I never realized how much was lacking from my relationship with her until Lucy wasn’t here to fill in the gaps.

From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy

Related Words

• flawed
• inadequate
• incomplete